


i had a marvelous time (ruining everything)

by SaltyPistachio



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Sibling Rivalry, lilith is as much a little shit as eda, summer shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25997065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltyPistachio/pseuds/SaltyPistachio
Summary: “Hey!” shouted the other girl. “What did you do to King?”Amity blinked at her. The girl was cute, she had to admit— with her short, russet brown hair styled in a natural faux hawk and her wide eyes lit with indignation.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Amity clipped back.The girl’s mouth fell into an eye-catching pout as she flailed her arms out to gesture at the dog by her side. “Look at him! He’s green!”...or...a sibling rivalry grows out of proportion and Amity just wanted to perfect her piano playing. at least she met Luz.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Lilith Clawthorne
Comments: 16
Kudos: 346





	i had a marvelous time (ruining everything)

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to [Skwimby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skwimby/pseuds/Skwimby) for beta-ing this nonsense

Amity had never envied her siblings more than she did that summer when they were away at summer camp while she was stuck at home with her two overbearing , yet distant , parents. At least she had her piano teacher, Miss Lilith. However, Amity could tell that relationship would quickly grow sour if these... _ pranks _ did not stop soon.

It was past midnight and here she was, traipsing behind the Owl House’s acres after her mentor all because Amity’s neighbor just so happened to be Edalyn Clawthorne, Lilith’s sister and quite possibly her greatest rival. Amity knew all about foolish siblings and the pranks they may pull, but this— this was a new low. She hoped that when she reached Lilith’s age she would no longer have to deal with Edric and Emira’s mischievous nature. 

“We’re almost there. Have the bag ready,” Lilith whispered into the silent night.

Amity sighed as she accidentally stepped in a puddle of mud and slung the backpack across her chest. Lilith reached into her pocket and took out a long piece of silver that glinted dangerously in the moonlight. The older woman raised it to her mouth and blew, with no noise emerging but the sound of her breaths, which echoed quietly against the trees. They waited in silence for several moments. Amity was about to suggest they leave when they heard a small jangling sound run towards them. Through the bushes erupted a shaggy little black dog, with coyote-like golden eyes that bore into them curiously. Lilith immediately crouched down into the muddy earth and extended her arms in invitation, making strange little kissing noises as the dog nervously backed away from them. “Amity,” she whispered out of the side of her mouth. “Pass me the treats.”

Amity quickly dug into the backpack and pulled out a bag full of peanut butter covered bacon and offered them to her mentor. As soon as she opened the bag, the cautious dog forgot his worries and sprinted towards Lilith, climbing into her lap in an attempt to reach the savory treats. Amity opened the flaps of the backpack and Lilith placed him inside. “Excellent. Now, back to my house. Quickly! Before Edalyn notices anything amiss.”

So the two ran through the woods until they were back on Blight property and began walking towards Lilith’s house, which stood across the street from Amity’s house and adjacent to the Owl Lady’s. Amity’s parents hated their neighbor but loved her sister; most likely due to the fact that the parties Lilith threw were more sophisticated get-togethers compared to the kind the Owl Lady hosted. Amity often wondered why Lilith had moved back to her hometown and so close to her sister if she couldn’t stand her, but she supposed it had more to do with their family name than the relationship between the two sisters. Edalyn Clawthorne was dragging her family’s name through the mud, somebody needed to rectify that. Amity herself had an intimate knowledge of the pressures of upholding the family name, especially when siblings were mucking it up. However, the situations weren’t quite the same— the Blights were an old family, but the Clawthornes were practically ancient. 

Lilith rushed them into the house and directed Amity to the back porch, where she found a tin tub full of water and soap waiting for them. Lilith reached into the backpack and lifted the placid pup out of it, gently lowering him into the water. He squirmed and yelped until Amity fed him more of the treats he so enjoyed to calm him down. A full belly combined with the gentle rubs he was receiving put the dog in a drowsy state, his head lolling against the tin and his eyelids becoming heavier with each blink. Amity immediately felt a twinge of regret as she handed Lilith a green bottle with the words “CREATIVE GROOMING” plastered on the side, but she pushed it down and hoped this was all worth the possible future Lilith could offer. They dried the sleepy dog off and Lilith walked Amity back to Blight Manor with the dog— King, his nametag read King— in her arms. The last thing Amity saw before she closed the front door was a triumphant Lilith walking in the direction of her childhood home, a green tail lazily waving in the air. 

* * *

The next morning, as Amity walked across the street to Lilith’s house, she found herself accosted by a strange girl with a familiar dog dyed key-lime green trotting at her feet. “Hey!” shouted the other girl. “What did you do to King?” 

Amity blinked at her. The girl was cute, she had to admit— with her short, russet brown hair styled in a natural faux hawk and her wide eyes lit with indignation. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Amity clipped back. 

The girl’s mouth fell into an eye-catching pout as she flailed her arms out to gesture at the dog by her side. “Look at him! He’s green!”

Amity cocked her head as she inspected King. In the light, the dye looked less green and more yellow, which she told the girl, receiving an exasperated huff in return . “That’s not the point. He’s not supposed to be any color but black!”

Amity shrugged. “Let him express himself. He might develop some taste.” She flipped her own green hair and turned her back towards the girl, continuing her journey to Lilith’s. 

“This isn’t over!” she heard over her shoulder. Good, she thought, it wasn’t like she had much to do this summer anyway. 

* * *

The last notes of Tschaikowsky’s Swan Lake Waltz floated in the air as Amity soaked in the music and let her fingers rise off the keys. She was a good pianist, she would even go as far as to say she was a great pianist, but it would mean nothing if Lilith didn’t think the same. The dark-haired woman was a world-renowned pianist who could open many doors for Amity if she truly thought the girl had what it took. Amity sought the approval of many adults, but Lilith’s was the only one she truly cared for, even more so than that of her parents’.

“Well-played, Amity,” Lilith praised. Amity turned to look at her delightedly but deflated a bit when she saw the woman wasn’t facing her, but rather looking out the window in the direction of her sister’s house. “But there were times where I thought your tempo was off. You must work on that.”

Amity dipped her head. “Yes, Miss Clawthorne,” she demurred. Her mentor clapped her hands together and spun to face her. “Now, we must prepare ourselves. My sister will look to retaliate and we must be ready.” She walked over to the bench and sat down next to Amity, looking at her with a determined expression. “Amity, I’m afraid I must ask you for a rather large favor.”

Amity raised her eyebrows; she had already helped steal a dog, how much bigger can her favors go? “Yes, Miss?” she asked.

Lilith rested her hand on Amity’s shoulder. “My sister has taken an apprentice of her own. I need you to become her acquaintance and infiltrate my sister’s inner circle.”

“I— excuse me?”

Lilith sighed. “Become her friend and gather intel. We must stay one step ahead of my sister.”

Amity stared slack-jawed at the woman she held in high regard. Sibling rivalry clearly unhinged even the most composed of women. 

Lilith’s tight lined mouth softened and she let her hand drop from Amity’s shoulder. “Amity, please. This may be the last summer we spend together and...you have become my favorite pupil. I would not ask this of anyone else but you.”

Amity’s stomach dropped. “Last summer?” she croaked out. 

“Yes, I am recommending you to a friend at Juilliard for next summer. You show great promise and I know you’ll do me proud.”

Amith swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded rapidly. She wanted to throw her arms around the woman but she had a feeling Lilith would prefer words of gratitude instead. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” she stammered. “I’ll help you. With your sister, I mean.”

Lilith smiled, small and intent. “Thank you.” She rose and returned to the window. “Now, let’s run through that last piece one more time. We must have you ready for next year after all.”

Amity beamed and let her fingers dance over the keys, strong and sure and light. This was shaping to be one of the best summers she’d ever had. 

* * *

As she stepped off of Lilith’s porch, she saw a blur of purple whizz by, King barking and running after the girl from before as she rode her skateboard. Or rather, as she tried to ride her skateboard. She seemed to fall off a lot, most times landing on her knee pads or on her side as she would throw herself onto the soft grass next to the main road. 

Amity watched her for a few moments before she gathered her courage to approach her. She calmed her racing heartbeat and told herself it was nerves— she could not fail Lilith and she had already started off on the wrong foot with the new girl. The brunette didn’t notice her approaching as she struggled to take off the purple helmet she wore on her head. Her downcast expression reflected throughout her whole, slumped body. King whimpered and laid his head on her lap, his eyes full of sympathy. Amity stopped a few feet away from her and rocked on her heels. “Hello.”

The other girl looked up and jumped to her feet when she saw who it was. “You!” she said, pointing an accusatory finger in Amity’s face. She swatted it away and smirked. “Me,” she responded, feeling a little stupid for the simple answer she gave. 

The brunette crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked suspiciously. 

Amity shrugged, painfully nonchalant. “I saw you struggling. Thought it was funny.”

The slightly shorter girl fell onto the ground, groaning as she threw her hands over her face. “I just can’t get it right,” she moaned. 

Amity sat down next to her. “I could help,” she blurted out. 

The other girl shifted her fingers, allowing her warm brown eyes to peer through. “Would you?” she asked hopefully. 

What was Amity saying? She didn’t even know how to ride a skateboard. But she’d seen Ed and Em do it enough times around the house to pick up the basics. All you needed to do was keep one foot on the board and push off with the other. Easy enough. “Sure.”

That’s how Amity found herself holding the other girl’s warm hands. She walked backwar and guided the girl as she struggled to stay on the board. It felt...nice. It brought up feelings Amity hadn’t felt since Willow and she struggled to keep them down. She had a job to do, she couldn’t allow for any distractions. “Hey,” the brunette said quietly as she squeezed Amity’s hands lightly, “my name’s Luz. I just realized I never introduced myself.”

Her face was much closer than Amity had expected and she could feel a burn start at her ears, threatening to crawl across her cheeks and spread over her face. Curse her fine, pale skin. “Amity,” she replied shortly. 

Luz cautiously pushed her foot against the pavement and brought her body closer to Amity’s. “That’s a nice name,” she said. 

Amity said nothing and they continued on in silence for a minute before Luz broke it again. “You really messed King up. He’s distraught. You should apologize.”

Amity rolled her eyes. “He seems fine. He probably doesn’t even understand what happened.”

“Ha! So it was you!” Luz crowed triumphantly.

Amity scowled and let go, watching in satisfaction as Luz scrambled to stay on her board. “No! But, well...look at him! He doesn’t care.” They both turned to look at King, who was too busy chasing his tail to notice that they were talking about him. Luz shook her head and tsked, “It’s about pride, Amity. And you hurt his.”

Luz giggled as Amity shoved her off her skateboard and marched towards her house, shoulders up to her ears to cover the red tips born from anger and nothing more. 

* * *

The next day, Amity found herself outside of her mentor’s house, standing next to her and staring up at the once pristine house. It was now covered in eggs and toilet paper, a hastily graffitied green dog wearing a crown inhabited the garage door— a word bubble barking out the informal definition of a female canine. 

Lilith squeezed the sponge she held in her hand as she scowled. “Edalyn,” she hissed. Amity couldn’t even find it in herself to try to dispute it; who else would go this far?

They scrubbed the house to the best of their abilities and went to sit on the porch when they had finished. Lilith rubbed her temple as she closed her eyes in thought. “We must go bigger, but we must remain classy. Any suggestions?”

Amity startled; petty pranks were more up Ed and Em’s street. What would they do if they were here? “Well,” she started, “I think we have to go after something she loves.”

“We did. We went after her dog.”

“Yes, but she must have something else.” They sat deep in thought and suddenly Amity leaned forward in excitement. “What about her motorcycle? The really loud one she likes to use?”

Lilith sat up, her eyes sparkling in spiteful glee. “Owlbert! Yes, of course. Why didn’t I think of that?”

They smirked deviously at each other and put their heads together to plan their next move. 

* * *

“I’m onto you, Blight,” came a playful voice from behind Amity. She turned to see Luz leaning against a bookshelf, smiling at Amity, and shooting her finger guns. Amity turned her nose up but couldn’t help the small smile that slid across the side of her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Again,” she added. 

Luz rounded the bookshelf to stand in front of Amity, her wide smile never fading. “Well I was talking about Owlbert, but now I’m also talking about the fact that you spend your free time reading to kids.”

Amity scoffed. “It’s extra credit and I had nothing to do with whoever ‘Albert’ is.” 

Luz hummed. “Right, right. You know, Eda’s really upset. I’d tell Lilith to stay on her toes if I were you.”

“Oh really? Any idea what the Owl Lady has in store for her?”

Luz mimed her lips shut and shrugged her shoulders, arms up and palms out. Amity let out a little laugh and stepped around her to put  _ Otabin the Bookmaker _ back on the shelf. “What are you doing here anyway?”

Luz’s eyes lit up. “I’m here to check out some Azura books. I’m working on my fanfiction but I need to make sure all my references are accurate.

Amity stared at her in surprise. “You read  _ The Good Witch Azura _ ?”

“Uh, do I read the greatest series of all time? Heck yeah, I do!”

“I draw fanart,” Amity blurted out. That was something she had never told anybody else. Edric and Emira knew, but Amity hadn’t willingly told them; they had found her sketches and teased her relentlessly about them. She had never been confident enough to share her art and after that, she resolved herself to never speak of her hobby with anybody who could use it against her. But if Luz could share her contributions so easily, Amity could try to as well. After all, she was supposed to make an effort to be Luz’s friend. 

Luz’s nose pressed against hers. “That’s so cool,” she breathed, her breath warm against Amity’s lips. Amity shoved her away in alarm, her face beet red, but Luz didn’t seem to notice or care. Amity didn’t know which option was worse so she tried not to think about it. 

“Hey!” Luz said, latching onto Amity’s arm. “Maybe we can team up! I’ll write something and you can draw for it.”

Amity scratched the back of her neck. “I don’t know. I’m not the best artist…”

Luz’s excited grin shifted into a soft smile. “That’s okay,” she said, “I’m not the best writer. But the more we practice, the better we’ll get.” She bumped her shoulder against Amity’s. “It’s cool if you don’t want to. I just thought it’d be something fun we could do together.”

Amity stared at her; like really looked at her. Luz was always smiling, she was always happy, but there was more under the surface that could be easily overlooked. Her eyes held depths that Amity had yet to discover— that she was afraid to discover. She could easily get sucked into the whirlpool of emotions in Luz’s eyes and Amity was afraid that she would rather drown than find a way out. But she was a Blight and Blights held their ground. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

So that’s how Amity spent her evenings before dinner for the next two weeks. Holed up in her secret hideaway in the library with Luz and trading information. Favorite colors, favorite Azura book, headcanons they enjoyed— nothing that could actually help Lilith, but Amity didn’t mind. She liked learning about Luz, and she liked being known in return. It had been a while since she had an actual friend. 

One evening, Amity had been giving an enraptured Luz a lesson on all the history she knew about the Blight family name and her ancestors who got them to where they were now, when she stopped in the middle of her lecture and gave Luz a curious look. “Where are you from?” she asked abruptly, the thought unable to leave her mind unless she voiced it. 

Luz shifted uncomfortably and was uncharacteristically silent. “I’m from across the river,” she finally said.

“Oh.” Amity had heard of the people who lived on the other bank of the river. A Blight was never supposed to associate with people like them. But a Blight must also never be anything less than perfect, and Amity’s existence proved that a Blight could be and do many things.

“Are you just here for the summer?” she asked tentatively. She didn’t want Luz to leave, she realized. She wanted Luz around because she  _ liked _ Luz. She liked her a lot more than she had first aimed for.

Oh. 

Well, Amity had always been an overachiever.

“Yeah, Eda’s kinda my sponsor for the summer,” Luz said, interrupting Amity from the spiral she was about to spin herself down. 

Amity tilted her head as if her thoughts would spill out of her ears and leave her head blissfully empty. “How  _ did _ you get the Owl Lady’s attention?” she asked, curious to know the instances that brought Luz to her. 

Luz grinned. “She was on my side of the river and King got into some trouble. I helped bail him out and, I don’t know, I guess I bothered her long enough to take me in.”

“What do you guys even do in the Owl House?”

Luz straightened and used her fingers to tick off the list she presented. “We practice our music, tune the instruments, look after the owls, think of new ways to bother Lilith,” she paused and smiled at Amity. “Really, nothing different than what you probably do.”

Amity rolled her eyes and ignored the light-hearted jab. “I didn’t know you could play,” she said instead. 

Luz nodded earnestly. “Well, I’m still on the basics but Eda says I’m a natural! She knows some of everything, so now I’m learning a little of everything too.”

“Huh. Looks like the Owl Lady is smarter than I gave her credit for.”

“Eda’s a good person and very intelligent. She’s nothing like others make her out to be.” Luz’s voice was fond and tender and sharp all at once. She loved the Owl Lady— Eda, her name was Eda— and she would not be shamed for it. Amity hoped she sounded like that when she spoke about Lilith. 

Luz’s phone buzzed and she shot up when she saw the screen. “Shoot! Hooty and King got into it again. I’ve gotta go help out Eda.” She sent Amity an apologetic grimace. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you, promise!”

Amity waved her away, getting up and placing her sketchbook back into her bag. “Don’t worry, Luz. I’ve got to head home anyway.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at her shoes, a rush of nerves running through her. “Walk me home?” she asked quietly.

Luz stared at her strangely and Amity was about to take it back when she stepped forward and took Amity’s bag out of her hand. “It’s the least I can do,” she murmured when Amity went to protest. 

So they walked home, hands brushing against one another’s and shy glances stolen out of the corner of their eyes. Something warm spilled inside Amity’s chest and she didn’t want to bottle it back up.

* * *

Things finally came to a head one morning when a small explosion came from the direction of Lilith’s house. Amity had been sitting at the kitchen table by herself (her parents already off at work) when she felt the house shake and the chandelier above her head swayed precariously. She abandoned the rest of her orange juice and ran outside, instinctively heading across the street towards her mentor’s home. She wasn’t positive the epicenter had been her house, but even if it hadn’t been, she would feel safer being in the woman’s company.

As Amity got closer, she could see Lilith waving her arms around furiously as she shouted at her remorseful-looking sister, King running around their legs and barking furiously up at the two women. Lilith must have said something that struck a nerve with her sister because the next thing Amity knew, Edalyn Clawthorne was yelling right back. Her long nails poked at Lilith’s nose as she got in her sister’s face and added to the cacophony of noise.

Luz stood off to the side with her arms crossed across her chest, her head tilted in confusion as she took it all in. Amity came to stand next to her and mimicked her pose. “So...what happened exactly?”

Luz bit the inside of her cheek. “I think Eda wanted to mess with Lilith’s pool and then it all backfired.”

Amity snorted. “Obviously. I could feel the explosion from my house.”

Luz turned her head towards Amity in alarm. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Amity felt her cheeks redden at Luz’s concern and tried to level a deadpan glare at the other girl. “Does it look like I’m hurt?”

Luz got impossibly closer and looked Amity up and down intently. Her eyes locked on Amity’s and the strange look from the library returning. They were as wide as always but infinitely soft and Amity had never felt more seen than she did whenever Luz looked at her. “ You look perfect. Always do, Blight,” Luz said, her voice cautiously gentle— like she knew how easily Amity could be spooked when it came to feelings and the like. 

Amity was sure that all the blood rushing to her head would make her pass out, but before that could happen she had something she needed to say and she knew that if she didn’t say it now and here, while the dew was still glistening on the grass and the morning air held promises of what was to come, she would never do it. “Luz,” she said, her voice squeaking pathetically, “do you— would you—” she stumbled under Luz’s patient gaze. “Catch a movie with me?” she finished pathetically. 

Luz smiled and it was one Amity had not seen before, one she liked to think was created just for her. “I’d like that.”

And even with the two women arguing in the background and the little green dog nipping at her heels, Amity had never felt the sun rise in her chest as she did at that moment. It threatened to burn her tenderly— warm, loving, and light.

**Author's Note:**

> if you liked this, go check out my other fics
> 
> come check me out on [tumblr](https://theowlhousewlw.tumblr.com/)


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